In the present state of the art, the term, "ampoule" is used to denote a cavity filled with liquid in the domains of anatomy, pathology or pharmacy. Pharmaceutical ampoules are flame-sealed glass tubes in which medicinal solutions have been placed beforehand. Ampoules have a number of advantages: exact dosage of product protection of product from oxygen, dirt, indefinite storage if the product is stable, and the possibility of basic sterilisation as far as injectable products are concerned.
Injectable ampoules are one of the best forms of presentation and ways of keeping products for sub-cutaneous and intravenous injections etc. In addition to the usual qualities of ampoules, the glass of which the ampoule is made is said to be neuter, that is to say that it is not capable of reacting on the contents.
Auto-injectable ampoules for very convenient use provide a complete safeguard against asepsis. They are small syringes for use once only and are provided with a needle and are ready to be injected (they are stored in a piece of air-tight plastic material).
Drinkable ampoules are advantageous in that they give an exact dosage and provide good conservation conditions, especially in the case of substances which have been destroyed by oxygen in the air, and sterilisation (but not necessary for drinkable products such as syrups etc.), improves their keeping. Two ampoules containing non-miscible products can be soldered end to end. These are twin ampoules, the contents of which are mixed on use.
The aim of the present invention is to improve the quality of existing ampoules by using a plastics casing which is chemically neuter to the liquids with which it will be in contact. The material used to make the casing can be opaque, transparent, coloured, depending on whether the liquid with which it will be in contact is light-sensitive, in particular sensitive to UV rays.
In accordance with the present invention, a system is provided which includes a syringe combined with an ampoule wherein the syringe has a barrel with first and second ends. A piston with a bore therethrough is positioned in the syringe barrel and a tubular plunger is attached to at first pin thereof to the piston and has a second end thereof projecting from the second end of the syringe barrel. A rod is slidably received through the tubular plunger and the bore of the piston. The rod has a first end projecting from the first end of the barrel and a second end projecting from the second end of the tubular plunger. A closure is provided for closing a first end of the ampoule and there is a coupling between the first end of the rod and the coupling for operating the closure to open and close the first end of the ampoule. A needle is provided at the second end of the ampoule for drawing liquid into the ampoule upon pulling the second end of the plunger after the rod has opened the closure, whereby after the ampoule has been filled with the liquid, the closure is closed to retain a liquid in the ampoule.